New Country, Familiar Face
by peachieO
Summary: Charlie McDonnell and OC romance. Ina moves into her new house after coming to England from America for her job. Little does she know her neighbours are Charlie McDonnell and Alex Day!
1. Chapter 1

**NOTE: This was revised, and re-edited after I realized I'd practically abandoned this story, and wanted to continue it needed some work.**

I know it said Romance, but I'n not so fond of the stories where it's like Love at first sight! or the knowing-eachother-for-three-days-before-suddenly-declaring-undieing-love-for-one-another. I feel that real relationships grow over time, so this one *hopefully* will too

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><p>Ina Saltzman stood, triumphant, on the front step of her new house. Number 35 may have been the smallest on the block, but just knowing it was hers made it so much shinier. She dragged her over sized, over stuffed, and over used navy blue duffel bag in the door, and let it fall to the floor on the hallway.<p>

Ina dragged the duffel up the stairwell and kicked it to the middle of the master bedroom _'my bedroom' _she reminded herself. She plunked down on the bag and looked around. The carpet was an indescribable colour existing somewhere between a light grey and a tanish brown. The walls were the standard off white, and started box like at the floor, but bent and sloped into the celling. She pulled out the only décor on hand, a Doctor Who poster, and pinned it to the nearest wall. Already the house felt more like hers.

Ina stepped into hall, and though she's already done a walk through with the real estate agent, now that she owned the house it was like seeing it for the first time. The would-be guest room sat down the hall, and to the left from hers, with the spare room adjacent on the right. Both rooms looked much the same as hers, though smaller, and lacking the en-suite bathroom. Straight down the hall was a large window looking out on the cute suburban neighbourhood. However, the most interesting part of the hall was the spindly spiral staircase sitting between her bedroom and the spare. She smiled as she began to ascend the stairs. It was with a child like thrill she ascended the stairs, pausing mid way to imagine she was living in an old castle.

The attic was very large, and had, of all things, a fireplace at the far end. She inhaled deeply and her nostrils were met with the smell of must and old wool, the proper smell for any decent attic. There were several floor to celling shelves along the side, all sitting under a thin layer of dust. While another person might have found the idea of using the attic for an office a peculiar one, Ina couldn't find a more inspiring place to work.

Ina returned to the ground level, and made her way to the kitchen. The space was large, but necessary for her many cooking adventures. The sight of the empty pantry set her stomach rumbling, and she made for the nearest grocery store.

After much time Ina arrived home with a much fuller fridge, and a much emptier wallet. Ina went straight for cookies, forgoing the recipe as she'd memorized it long ago. The smell of chocolate chip cookies baking was enough to make the house feel like home. An hour later she sat on the island with a huge pile of cookies in front of her. '_Well, having this many sweets around the house is never good for my diet. I guess it's time to meet the neighbours'. _She placed a dozen of the cookies on a paper plate, and covered it in plastic wrap.

She slipped on a jacket and stepped into the windy fall chill. Ina looked around the neighbourhood. To her left Number 37 sat very close, less than 20 feet between the houses, while to her right Number 33 was considerably farther with both it's and her side yards between them. She turned to the closer house and knocked on the door. She quickly stepped back, and waited for someone to answer. The door swung open to reveal an attractive young man with short black hair with a blond blaze up the side. Ina puzzled for a moment, the man looked familiar, rather familiar, but she knew she was hopeless at placing faces and quickly ignored it.

Ina cleared her throat "Hello, my name is Ina and I just moved in next door. I just made some cookies, but I have a tendency to make far more than I should ever consume so I brought some over as a 'hello'" she said holding out the plate. The man smiled and took the plate in his left hand and held his right hand out for a hand shake as he said

"Nice to meet you Ina, I'm Micheal". Ina smiled bigger  
>"Oh, you're from America too! I just got here, though I must say this moving business was rather difficult"<br>"I've only been here a few weeks myself, I just moved in with a couple of friends"  
>"That sounds like fun - living with friends. I'm on my own, but that's fun too" Micheal laughed<br>"It's quite fun, never a boring moment with those two" Micheal shivered in the October air "It's cold out, would you like to come in for a cup of tea?" He offered "Would you look at that, three weeks in England and I'm already offering tea" He laughed again, short and welcoming.  
>"That sounds lovely, thank you". Ina followed him downstairs into a cheery blue living room.<p>

He gestured towards sofa  
>"Make your self comfortable, I'm gonna put the water on". Ina shrugged off her jacket and settled into the couch. Micheal sat in the armchair adjacent. "So, Ina, what brings you to London?"<br>"Well lets see, a few reasons, really. First I've always wanted to travel a bit, see new places, and second I got a job here so here seemed like a good place to be." Micheal nodded  
>"I take it you haven't got much set up yet" Ina shook her head.<br>"I can't say I do, just got here today"  
>"Well if it you're available we would love to have you over for dinner" Ina was slightly surprised.<br>"That's extremely kind of you, I would certainly appreciate it"  
>"Oh it's no problem at all. So what do you do?"<br>"I'm a bio-researcher. I work in a division that isolates communicable diseases and studies how we can prevent further infection, and possibly find a cure. I've actually got a pretty sweet deal where I only work Monday and Tuesday"  
>"That sounds really cool, what are you trying to save the world from?" Now Ina laughed.<br>"STDs, actually"  
>"That's a noble cause. So if you only work MondayTuesday what do you do in your spare time?"  
>"I'm a costume seamstress the rest of the time, it's kind of my passion. I sell costumes online, and spend some of my free time making them"<br>"It's always good to pursue one's passions. I've always loved film and music, so I've made my living out of them."  
>"That's aweso-"<p>

Ina was cut short by the sound of the door opening, and two people walking in, arguing.  
>"yes"<br>"no"  
>"Yes"<br>"No"  
>"YES"<br>"NO" Ina turned to see two people in hoodies and ridiculous masks. The one in the green hoodie and the octopus mask Turned towards the Living room

"Hello Michael, and..."  
>"Ina, I'm your new neighbor. I brought over some cookies"<br>"Another American!" exclaimed the one in green, pulling the mask off his head. The one in blue followed suit. "I'm Alex" said the one in green, "And this is Charlie" The nagging feeling of familiarity was back, and stronger.  
>"Okay I feel like I've definitely met you before, and I'm terrible with faces, but I'm <em>sure<em> you look very familiar" She said, mostly to Charlie, but also to Alex. The two exchanged a look, and chuckled. Alex stepped foreword  
>"I'm Alex Day, you mighta seen me around youtube."<br>"And I'm Charlie McDonnell, youtube also". Ina nodded her head, dumbfounded as to how she hadn't realised immediately.  
>"I just moved in next to Alex Day and Charlie McDonnell - that's exceptionally awesome." She turned back to face Michael "Michael <em>Aranda<em>. I knew you looked familiar too, I just wasn't sure then" Micheal nodded. Ina glanced at her watch "Well I'd better head back if I want to get some unpacking done before dinner" She grabbed her jacket off the rack, and walked towards the door. Michael followed her

"Tonight, say Seven?" Ina flashed a smile  
>"Seven sounds great" and with that she walked back to Number 35.<p>

Charlie turned to Michael  
>"Are you taking our new neighbour out on a date?" he asked with a chuckle. Micheal rolled his eyes.<br>"No, we're having her over for dinner"

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><p>So if you're justs starting now then this isn't important<p>

HEY EVERYONE! Thanks for re reading this. I'm not making excuses or giving reasons, but I'm here, and revising and writing more chapters and stories and I LOVE ALL OF YOU!


	2. Chapter 2

Heyyyy This is the revised chapter two, and while it used to exist in two parts I combined them in the re edit, so this is the complete chapter two.

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><p>Ina slowly closed the front door behind her before turning to lean on it. She replayed the whole meeting in her head, not sure if it had really happened. ' <em>I'm really living next door to Alex Day, Michael Aranda, and Charlie McDonnell' <em>She chuckled _'I guess I really did buy the right house'_

Ina set about cleaning up the kitchen before heading back up to her bedroom. She unzipped her duffel, and proceeded to empty the contents onto the floor, a veritable heap of clothing, a pillow, bathroom supplies, books, and various bits and bobs appeared. The rest of her belongings were being shipped over from Oregon.

Ina sorted out her clothes, cursing for not having bought hangers while at the store. Soon the large heap was made into several more-organized piles. She gathered up her toiletries and headed into the master bathroom. Depositing her stuff on the counter she fished out a tooth brush and meticulously cleaned her teeth before heading for the shower.

Feeling clean and refreshed Ina dried her hair and slipped back into the same jeans from earlier, and a sweater that left her shoulders bare. She starred into her reflection in the mirror. Her almost black hair ended just below her shoulders. She tugged on the ends vaguely wishing it would do something, but let the stands fall from her hand, and threw on some make up. She slipped on her tennies, and wandered back towards the kitchen. The clock on her microwave read a few minutes 'till seven. She drummed her fingers on the counter waiting for another minute to tick by.

At two to seven Ina pulled on her coat. She took in a breath and paused in front of her door. '_They are just normal people' _she reminded herself _'they are just your perfectly normal new neighbour whom with you will have a nice, normal dinner'. _Ina locked her door, and walked over to Number 37.

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><p>She was greeted again by Michael, who took her coat and led her down to the living room. "I'm sorry, the rice took a bit long so dinner probably needs another couple minutes" He walked back into the kitchen. "Could you do me a favor - the boys are just upstairs, could you tell them dinner is ready for me?" Ina nodded, and headed to the base of the stairs. "Up the stairs and to the left is the office. I think they're still in there"<p>

Ina's socked feet padded up the stairs as she peeked around the corner into the office. Laying on the floor of the larger section were Charlie and Alex still in their blue and green hoodies. Ina could hear the indistinct sounds of a TV, and rounded to corned to get a better view. The boys were laying on the ground watching Doctor Who on a laptop. She watched Matt smith leap around the TARDIS, explaining something to Amy. She leaned against the wall to get a better view when she remembered why she was up there in the first place.  
>"Um, Michael told me to tell you dinner is ready." Both boys turned to face her replying, in unison<br>"five more minutes". _'I see why Michael calls them "boys"'  
><em>"I'll let him know". She walked back the the Dining room, and delivered the message to the cook.  
>"That sounds like them" "Well you can take a seat if you'd like, I'm serving as we speak". Ina looked to the table, and pulled out the nearest chair.<p>

Moments later Michael set a heaping plate in front of her, and took the seat on the diagonal from her. "Oh don't wait for them, dig in". Ina smiled and cut into her enchilada.  
>"Wow, this is amazing" Michael beamed.<p>

"No really, I haven't had Mexican food this good since I was in Mexico!"  
>"I'm glad you like it, unfortunately it's about the only thing I can make" They shared a laugh.<p>

A few bites later Charlie and Alex entered the dining room. Alex looked at them in mock outrage  
>"You started without us?"<br>"yeah, and what are you gonna do about it?" Michael challenged. Alex scowled and sat next to Ina, leaving the spot across from her for Charlie. Ina looked up as charlie say down 'Oh, his fringe just catches in his eyes, it's cute' she quickly looked down as she met Charlie's eyes. 'that's a little awkward', but she reached for her glass of water as she dismissed it. The sound of cutting and chewing filled the air before Alex broke the awkward silence.

"So, Ina, what brings you here from the states?" Ina quickly realized this was going to become a something she would have to answer a lot.  
>"Well I've always wanted to travel, find something new, and also I got a job here so it made sense to be close to work"<br>"What do you do?" asked Charlie  
>"I'm a bio-researcher. Lab work, but I love it. I'm also working in the job share program so I only work Mondays and Tuesdays, and spend the rest of my time as a costume seamstress" Alex laughed<br>"So have you created a mass killing flu yet?" Ina smiled at the thought  
>"No, I'm more of the let's-stop-disease side of it." Charlie laughed<br>"Really, Alex. I don't think our new neighbor is a terrorist" Ina smiled, but found herself avoiding Charlie's eyes.  
>"How's the moving in going?" asked Charlie, trying to steer the conversation back towards normalcy<br>"My stuff should arrive from America a week from Friday, so I have nine days to try and paint everything, before it gets a lot more difficult. I ordered all the paint yesterday, and I'm picking it up in the morning"  
>"Well I'm not doing anything tomorrow, so I'd be happy to help you with painting" offered Charlie. Alex and Michael offer their help as well.<br>"That would be really awesome, moving is never fun" Ina was more than thankful for the help, and she couldn't help the tiniest twinge of excitement in her stomach. 'I'm just being silly, I'm just excited to finally move in, and glad to get help. That's all' she reprimanded herself  
>"Sometimes it is though, like moving here. I was so excited for it. My first house! Especially since I had to move back in with my Mum, and don't get me wrong, I love her, it's just there was a reason I moved out." Ina looked up to finally meet Charlie's gaze, as she chuckled.<br>"Trust me, I've been there"

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><p>The conversation turned to flying, then London vs Portland weather and sights, and all too soon plates were getting cleared away. Then ten minutes later was once again standing at the door saying her goodbyes.<p>

"Thank you so much for dinner, it was delicious!"

"It was nice to have you over, and feel free to knock on the door any time. We might not be in, but if we are it's always fun to have company" Charlie assured her. Ina paused peering around to say goodnight to Alex and Michael too, but they were still in the kitchen. Charlie seemed to pick up her train of thought

"Never mind those two, they're probably messing about downstairs"

"Well tell them goodnight for me, and I'll see them tomorrow"

"How's eleven sound?" Ina smiled again

"Eleven sounds perfect" Charlie pulled open the door, and Ina stepped through. She gave a final goodbye, before walking back home, smiling the whole way.

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><p>Ina opened her laptop and brought up her music. She mindlessly clicked on Chameleon Circuit, and tapped her finger to the beat, barely singing along. She blushed and stopped abruptly when she realized it was no longer Liam's voice she was following but Charlie's. The picture of his face at dinner popped into her head. Ina groaned and pulled her pillow over her head, trying to stuff out the slightly awkward embarrassment, but to no avail. It was too early to go to bed, so she set about taping the ceilings and trim in prep for the next day.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hola mis amigos! sorry I don't know how to use the up-side-down exclamation point on this keyboard. This is the full, and revised chapter three, no longer in two parts. Enjoy!

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><p>Ina awoke feeling rather refreshed for someone who didn't sleep on a proper bed, just a mattress and pillow. After a quick shower she pulled on a rather worn out Doctor Who tee shirt, coveralls, and caught her hair back in an elastic.<p>

She crossed the yard, wishing she grabbed a jacket. She unlocked and opened the door to the car. The car was Emily's, but she had it for the next two weeks for moving in. Driving on the left side of the road was something she could never quite get used to, and it had taken a couple crash courses from Emily before Ina felt comfortable in traffic.

Ina pulled into the car park at the hardware store, and fifteen minutes later she was pulling away with her back-seat stacked with paint cans.

When Ina arrived home she brought the paint into the hall, turned on her music, and went to taping and plasticing the walls and floors. A sudden ring of the doorbell startled Ina, and quickly she turned down the music and started to run towards the door. Embarrassed she slowed to a walk _'Just pretend it's the mail man' _she thought, bracing herself, resigned not to react as she opened the door; but her steely determination melted with the enthusiastic "Hello!" and grin spread across Charlie's face.

Ina's brain went into automatic, giving a standard greeting while trying to stop the onslaught of _'d'awww, cute!'_ rushing through her brain. She led the boys into the living room. The floor was covered in plastic, and several cans of paint sat in the corner.

Ten minutes later everyone was outfitted with rollers, and the walls were quickly turning a vivid rusty-red sunset colour.

Conversation flowed from local sights, and eats, to traffic, to helpful tips about British culture. Time passed through, and around Ina, as she spent the time in a state of disbelief. Disbelieving she was living in England, disbelieving she owned her own house, disbelieving her new neighbours were famous youtubers, and part of her favourite band, and disbelieving they were currently standing around her kitchen helping her paint.

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><p>With four people the entire down stairs had a coat by half past noon, and Ina offered to treat the boys to lunch. They vehemently refused to let her pay, but agreed to lunch. Charlie excused himself to the bathroom while Alex and Michael debated where to eat, and Ina washed up in the kitchen.<p>

Ina handed the keys to Alex who had won the debate, and sat in the passenger seat while Charlie and Michael piled in back. As Alex drove down the road Ina focused on committing the route to memory.

Alex parked in front of a small pub, the sign proclaiming it to be 'Fred's Pub and grill' The door was a dingy, dark green, and the door mat showed clear signs of use. Through the large window Ina could see a small, low lit seating area. "Gets really crowded at dinner, but great for lunch" he announced as he handed the keys back to Ina. Ina followed the boys inside, and were immediately seated by a short, wide, blonde girl. Alex sat by the window, and Michael across from him. Charlie took the seat by Alex, and Ina by Michael. The girl introduced herself as Laura, and welcomed them, handing out menus.

Alex looked down at his paint covered hands, and announced he was going to wash up. Michael followed suit. Ina looked up to find Charlie smiling back at her. 'Oh be calm' Her breathing picked up, but she was determined to act normally.

"Do you guys come here a lot?" Charlie paused, considering

"I guess we do. We're a bit lazy though. Michael is the only one who ever really cooks" Charlie broke into his signature smile "I like it here: the food is good, and I love watching people, and making up stories about their life"

"Me too!" Ina grinned back and Charlie laughed 'Why does he have to be so damn cute?'. Suddenly Charlie leaned in close to her and quietly said

"Don't turn, just slowly look at the guy in the table to your right" Ina felt the heat rise in the face at the sudden change in the space between them, and she hoped Charlie was too distracted by whatever the guy was doing to notice. She casually leaned back, glanced to her right, and burst out laughing. She turned back to Charlie who was now laughing with her. She struggled to form a sentence through her giggles.

"Oh my God! did you see him?" She asked in a loud whisper

"I know, that was really gross"

"Oh but seriously, who blows their nose with a slice of bread? That's so weird!". Ina's giggles died down, and she realized that they had both drifted in toward each other. She quickly sat back in her chair. The laughter had mostly dissolved her internal awkwardness with Charlie. "So what's good here" she asked, more seriously as she picked up here menu.

Alex and Michael soon returned to the table.

Charlie looked up at the two of them

"What, did you guys go together?' he asked in a mocking tone, and he and Ina started laughing again. Alex glared at them

"Well you two seem awfully chummy" Ina felt some of the awkwardness returning. Charlie brushed it off, and they went back to deciding on food.

Laura quickly returned, bringing a small loaf of bread as she took their orders. Michael turned to Ina

"How do you market your costumes? Do you work for a company, or just independent?"

"I just work for myself. It started as a fun hobby, I was always making my own cosplay, and dressing up. Then I was on a forum for a upcoming con, and someone was looking for a seamstress, so I took them up on it. It just expanded from there. Sometimes I just start making things I think will be cool, and post them for sale when I finish. Some of it people send me designs and I bring it to life, other times they just have a vague idea and I go through the whole design process with them. I've gotten a little better at drawing over the years, but my friend Kat back in America is a brilliant artist so she helps with designs for customers. She also scans in all of her drawings and sends them to me, and I use a lot of them for inspiration."

"I love collaborating with others on my work. You bounce off each other and get something better than alone" said Alex "What kind of costumes have you done?"

"Everything from fairy dresses and feathered wings to period accurate and custom cosplay. Last thing I did was a loli kimono for a girl back in the states". The boys looked impressed.

"Do you have any of it here yet?" Genuine interest showed in Charlie's face, and Ina averted her eyes again.

"A bit, but most of it's in a box in the attic. If you come over for my house warming party I'll probably have it more organized"

"Of course we'll come to your party!"

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><p>Soon steaming plates of food were brought to the table, and conversation paused to make way for eating.<p>

"How is it?" inquired Michael.

"I'd always heard English food was like terrorism on your taste buds, but I actually really like it"

Upon returning home Ina said good bye to the boys, and went back to painting.


	4. Chapter 4

Hello, so this is the complete Chapter four  
>I am going to start chapter five soon so that shouldn't be too long before it's up<p>

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><p>The next two weeks flew by, and yet also seemed to never end. Between painting, and work, and buying furniture, and then unpacking Ina never felt like she had the time to relax. Thankfully her restless determination had the house set up in time for her rather ambitious house-warming party date.<p>

Ina spent her Saturday morning washing and cutting vegetables; mixing dip; and preparing finger foods. As the afternoon approached she changed into a sweater dress and black leggings, and pulled her hair up.

Half an hour later Emily and her boyfriend Darren pulled up, and she was giving them a tour. They returned to the living room, chatting about moving and painting when the bell rang again. This time Ina was inviting in Michael, Alex and Charlie. They too were given the tour, leaving her bedroom for last. As she pushed the door open the boys stepped inside, taking in the view. The bed was situated on a raised platform in the corner, and a large desk sat under the long window. The walls were the real attraction though, the bottoms were a dark grey, littered with spots of yellow. About half way up the mass of grey turned into skyscrapers and office buildings as the city skyline defined itself. Above the buildings the walls turned the vivid navy of a summer night, and the ceiling was spotted with stars.

Charlie was the first to break the silence "it's beautiful" he half whispered. Ina looked down embarrassed. She always found it confusing when she was genuinely really proud of something she made and wanted to express it, but didn't want to sound haughty; and it didn't help when the person praising it happened to be really quite attractive.

"T-Thank you"

"Must've taken a lot of time for such detailed work" remarked Alex.

"It was well worth it"

As they exited the room Michael inquired about the stairs.

"To the attic slash my office" Ina said, pointing up. "I'll show you if you stick around later. I should really get back down to the party now"

Several of Ina's co workers had arrived, and soon the small party was in full swing. Introductions were made around the room, and small talk sprouted up as Ina pulled out several trays of snacky foods, and people switched to sitting around and grazing.

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><p>Charlie turned towards Emily and Darren.<p>

"So how did you guys meet Ina?" Darren gestured towards his girlfriend

"I met her through Emily after she moved to the U.K.". Emily laughed

"It's actually rather ridiculous how Ina and became friends. It was sophomore year back in High School, and we had Spanish together. She sat near me, and we were always doing group activities so that's how we were first introduced. We didn't really become friends until I had to borrow her bra one day!" Emily burst out laughing, and Charlie and Darren starred at her in confusion

"Oh do tell that one" said Darren

"We had this fashion show project at the end of the unit about clothing. I had been wearing a shirt with a built in bra earlier, so I forgot to bring one, not realizing I'd need it after I changed for the fashion show. We all went to the bathroom to change, and I'd already put the other shirt on when I realized I didn't have one! so I kind of sit down by Ina and say 'this is gonna sound really weird, but do you have a bra I could use?'. I totally thought she was just gonna look at me like I was crazy, but instead she just wore my shirt, and I used her bra for the period!". All three of them burst out laughing.

"That's the weirdest way to make friends I've ever heard of!" said Charlie between laughs

"You are impossible" said Darren, shaking his head at Emily. Emily's blonde waves shook as she nodded in agreement.

Ina walked over to the rather loud group

"What's so funny?"

"Emily here just finished the story of how you two became friends" said Charlie, his signature grin across his face. Ina joined the laughing

"Wow, that really takes me back. High school, and the stupid things we did, huh?" She said, tapping Emily's arm.

"I feel so out of the loop. I've been dating this girl for four months and I've never heard any of these stories" Darren said, hopeful for another. Ina waved her hand dismissively

"Oh we'll save those for another day"

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><p>As the evening wore on people said their good byes, and slowly the party dwindled down to just Ina and Charlie.<p>

"Oh, sorry I don't realize you were still here!" exclaimed the surprised Ina. Charlie looked a bit bashful as he said

"I wanted to help you with some of the clean up, plus you said if I stuck around I could see your workroom". He picked up an empty tray and started towards the kitchen. Ina blushed 'Damn! Cute, and sweet? It's not fair'

"Thanks, that's really nice, but you don't have to". Ina grabbed the remaining trays, and followed Charlie to the kitchen.

"It's fine, I want to help"

Ina led the way up the spiral staircase

"Sorry it's rather messy, but it's systematically messy; or at least that's what I keep telling myself. Either way it just works best for me"

"No, I know what you mean. Alex is the same way. His half of the office is always a stye, and whenever I try to clean it he says he can't find anything" Ina nodded before realizing Charlie couldn't see her

"Some of us are just like that"

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><p>The attic was a burst of colors. Fabrics in silky oranges and greens were strewn about over canvas browns and purple corduroy. Several mannequins stood around, one modeling a Victorian dress, one wrapped in what looked like a pink toga, the last in a straight jacket. On one of the tables sat a blue corset with giant wings protruding from the back, and on another was a collection of several cocktail hats.<p>

Charlie picked up a green fedora, and pulled in on his head.

"I feel like an American mobster from the twenties". Ina smiled

"That's what I was going for, so s'good to hear". Charlie curled his fingers like a gun, and slowly walked in a circle before pretending to shoot the toga wearing mannequin. Ina laughed at his display 'Oh god, he's adorable!'.

Charlie ventured towards the wings, jaw agape in awe

"You made these?" Ina shrugged

"One of my first serious costumes, but I put so much into them I could never quite bring myself to sell 'em"

"Wow! I wonder what they'd look like on..." he trailed off, seeming to not realize he'd said that aloud. Ina took the corset off the table

"Turn around" she told Charlie, but hopped behind the Mannequin for good measure. She quickly pulled off her dress, and, thankful for her undershirt, pulled the corset over her head. A few minutes of tightening later she stepped out. She smiled when she saw Charlie was still facing the far wall 'A real gentleman' she cleared her throat

"You can turn around now".

Charlie's eyes widened as he turned to see Ina. Her cheeks heated, and under Charlie's gaze she was suddenly very aware of how skin tight all her clothing was.

"Yeah, so that's..." Ina tried to break the silence before it was too awkward.

Charlie's eyes snapped up, and Ina realized he'd hadn't been starring at the wings.

"I uh, yeah, they're really cool" 'Wait was he? No, but he was! No, it doesn't mean anything, _you_ would stare a bit if _anyone_ was standing around in corset in front of you' "I'll just..." He gestured at a table, and Ina quickly slipped back into her dress, thankful for the less revealing fit.

"Well that's pretty much my office. It's never quite the same from one week to the next, just depends on what I want to work on at the time". Charlie started his descent on the stairs

"If you ever want anyone over to just dress up knock on my door. I really do love costumes" said Charlie as he rounded the bottom of the staircase. Ina smiled

"I will keep that one in mind"

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><p>After Charlie said his goodbye and left Ina sat on the floor in front of her front door 'Everything was going so well, and then I had to go making it all awkward. It's not like he was even looking at <em>me<em>. It's just because I was showing a bit more skin than usual, he'd have looked at anyone like that, right?'

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><p>Just a side note I had a really difficult time writing "plus you said if I stuck around I could see your workroom" because everything I wrote sounded really dirty. Or maybe that was just me, who knows<p>

anyways reviews are food for my soul, so feel encouraged to review!  
>(but no seriously, reading a review is one on the best feelings, and when you guys make suggestions about my writing I honestly try to followuse them)


	5. Chapter 5 part 1

Hello! Hello! It's Chapter Five!  
>And hey Chapter six <em>might<em> even be up later tonight!  
>Please Review!<p>

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><p>That November proved to be a bitter one. The temperature dropped rather unexpectedly, hardly above freezing most days and the first week was a constant storm. Torrential downpours freezing over created deadly ice slicks, and raging winds were taking out power lines across the city.<p>

It was so cold Ina could see her breath as she walked through her house. Determined to beat the icy grip she set to making a big pot of chili. Soon the pot was bubbling, and she smell of chili permeated the house.

'Oh crap! I'll be eating this stuff for weeks! I really need to learn to cook for one'. She sighed, before another thought came to mind. 'I bet the boys could use some homemade chili, especially in this weather' Ina smiled.

She ran upstairs and pulled jeans over her long underwear, got out her warmest coat, and a hat. She grabbed the soup pot and wrapped her arms around it, hugging the warmth close. As she got to Number 37 she knocked on the door with her knee and waited for someone to answer.

Charlie pulled the door open, and ushered her inside, quickly shutting it behind her.

"I can't believe you actually went outside" he said, zipping up his jacket.

"I made chili, and I could never eat this much so I thought you guys could help me" Charlie broke into a grin

"Sweet, free food! But seriously that's awesome!"

"It's still hot, dunno if you've eaten yet. Could always just put in in the fridge"

"That'd be perfect for dinner. I don't think we've had a proper meal since this crazy weather started up"

Ina headed downstairs, and put the pot on the stove, turning on the burner to let it re heat.

Charlie followed a couple minutes behind her, with Michael and Alex.

"Oh, score! Free food!" cheered Alex

"A surprise visit, with a free home cooked meal? You just couldn't resist seeing us again" joked Michael 'yes'

"As it happens I forgot how to cook for one person, and don't feel like eating this stuff for the next month"

Bowls were pulled from the cupboard and chili was doled out.

Seconds soon followed, and before long everyone had reached a food induced sleepiness. They had just settled into the couch when the room went black.

Every one jumped up, suddenly rather awake.

"Damn, power's out" announced Alex after flipping the circuit breaker. Charlie jogged back downstairs, bearing several flashlights

"Looks like the whole street" he reported back

"Aw, shit!" muttered Ina, falling back into the sofa in defeat

"Hey, why don't you just stay over here" suggested Alex. Ina's eyes flicked to Charlie, but he was looking at the carpet.

"Yeah, alone in that house - you're gonna freeze" Michael chimed in.

"O-okay" Ina stuttered, unsure of how to feel.

"I think we should all sleep down here. it's the warmest room in the house, and if the four of us are all here than the body heat will keep it warmer than in four separate rooms". Part of Ina agreed at the logical line of reasoning Alex had laid out, but another part was squirming at the though of sleeping in the same room as Charlie.

"Sou-sou-soooooooooounds good" said Michael through a yawn

Shortly after, blankets had been distributed, and the living room looked a lot more like a blanket fort. The coffee table had been pushed to the corner, and Ina took one couch, Michael the other, with Charlie and Alex on the floor.

"I don't think I've had a proper sleepover in years" remarked Ina.

"What - we gonna tell secrets and braid each other's hair?" Alex bantered

"Oooh yes! then let's eat ice cream and talk about our crushes!" squealed Michael in a falsetto. Ina's face heated at the mention of crushes, and was thankful for the dark to hide her blush.

"Hey, be nice" said Charlie smacking his pillow over Alex's face.

"Oh, it's on!" shouted the older boy, jumping up to retaliate. A full out war was raging in seconds, with Ina on Charlie's team, and Michael on Alex's.

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><p>As the battle wore on both sides came close to victory at one point, but finally Alex and Michael were pillow-less, and beaten to the floor. Ina and Charlie high-fived, and Michael stood between then, grabbing their hands and throwing then into the air like a wrestling match, declaring Team Coollike victorious.<p>

They all collapsed on the couches, considerably warmer than before

"I'd say 'let's watch a movie', but clearly that's not an option" said Michael, gesturing towards the T.V. Charlie nudged Ina's arm

"So those crazy High School stories you mentioned at the party?"

"Oh boy...where to start" Ina sat in thought for a minute.

"It was Halloween, I think my freshman year of high school, and I was out trick or treating with some of my friends. Our parents told us we were to old, but you're never too old for free candy. I'm out with my friend Tanya and her brother, Max, when Max decides he wants to go get his buddy Johnathan. So we finally convince Jonathan to go with us, and he walks out with a package of toilet paper. We go around trick or treating, and eventually we get to this one house, porch light on, so we knock on the door. I mean porch light on is the universal sign for 'we have candy' on Halloween night. We wait around for a couple minutes, and are finally about to leave when someone opens the door. We turn around expecting Candy, but instead she tells us they have no candy. We're pretty disappointed, and a bit irritated, so we decide we're gonna toilet paper the house! But none of us have actually toilet papered anything before. So Johnathan grabs a roll, and chucks it as hard as he can towards the house, unfortunately Johnathan has terrible aim, and accidentally hit the car. Johnathan did, however, have a pretty strong arm, and managed to hit it hard enough to set off the car alarm. We all sort of stand around looking at each other, like 'oh shit, what do we do?' Then the Woman from before runs out of the house, thinking someone is trying to steal the car. So we start booking it across the street, the woman chasing after us. We finally manage to loose her, but that's about when we decided we really were to old for trick or treating"

Laughter filled the room, and was a few minutes before it died down. As the night wore on everyone told stories of past adventures of their own.

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><p>So PLEASE review<br>Really they make me happier than you could possibly believe, especially if they have criticism and or suggestions!  
>I love you all, and Don't watch Human Centipede. Seriously I just tried and had to stop after like 45min, it was traumatizing. I will probably have nightmares.<p> 


	6. Chapter 5 part 2

Okay so this is like 5.5  
>I'm supposed to be doing essay prep for my final tomorrow, so I'm procrastinating. Unfortunately when it comes to school work when there is a spefic thing I don't want to do my brain forgets how to do it. Like maths. Suddenly I forgot everything I had down pat yesterday. Or in the case of my essay, suddenly I have writers block (or maybe it's more like thinker's block) so I wrote like three more sentences, and called it good. I still wanted to get this posted today though, so Chapter 6 will come later.<p>

* * *

><p>Ina awoke to the sound of blankets moving behind her. Reluctantly she pulled away from her cocoon of warmth only to find the air much warmer than she expected.<p>

"Powers back so the the heat kicked on" explained Michael "'M start breakfast. You like pancakes?"

"mmm pancakes are good" grumbled Ina, rubbing her eyes. She pulled her jeans back over her long johns, not bothering with her sweater, and looked down at Charlie.

Through the course of the night he had rolled away from his pillow, and snuggled into the base of the couch. His messy hair was swept across his forehead, and his face was relaxed into an expression of perfect serenity. Ina was glad Alex was still asleep, and took the opportunity to steal another glance at Charlie. 'He looks so happy. I wonder what he's dreaming about?'

Deciding he looked cold Ina gently tucked her blanket around the sleeping form before following Michael into the kitchen.

* * *

><p>A couple of spills, and several burnt pancakes later, plates were filling and tea was brewing. Charlie wandered, bedheaded, into the kitchen, followed shortly by Alex.<p>

"Glad the power's back. Breakfast was gonna suck without it" commented Alex, taking his tea. Charlie too grabbed a mug, and turned to Ina, not meeting her eyes.

"Oh hey, thanks for the extra blanket. I was a bit cold last night, it really helped". Ina blushed and nodded, but realized Charlie wasn't looking at her, but rather starring rather intently into his tea.

"Oh yeah, no problem. I'm sure you'd've done the same for me". Charlie's only response was a slight nod, and a long sip of a tea. 'I guess he's not a morning person' Ina reasoned.

She heard Ina snigger from Alex, and turned to catch the joke, but the moment had obviously passed.  
>Breakfast was a sleepy one, the sounds of chewing made for more noise than talking. Afterwards, Ina helped clear away dishes, before heading home to shower.<p>

Charlie walked her to the door 'It's almost routine now. He's just so sweet!', and Ina said her goodbye before pulling him into a hug.

It was one of the awkwardest hugs Ina had ever experienced. Charlie just stood there like a board, and Ina quickly pulled back, half running out the door her face burning.

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><p>Mehhh, so someone please review, and distract me from this work I don't want to do!<p> 


	7. Chapter 6

Hello All! So this probably my favourite chapter of the story so far

Please review, and if you log in to do so I can reply. But if not then check at the bottom. I have replied to everyone who didn't log in

Also Ina's thoughts are now _italicized _and in quotes. No quotes with italic font is just emphasis

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><p>Ina rolled out of bed, quickly changed and threw on a jacket. She hadn't really left the house since <em>the sleepover <em>and it was driving her a bit stir crazy. Thankfully the weather had warmed up to a manageable cold.

She walked without and real destination, walking for the sake of leaving the house rather than going somewhere. Her route turned into a pattern based on the street blocks 'right-left-left-straight-right-right-straight-left-left' She focused on counting the signs and blocks and steps she took when she found herself in a park. She meandered down the path, avoiding the wed mud slick that passed for a field in mid November. Just on the other side of a small hill was an empty playground. '_everyone sane is probably keeping warm inside'_.

Ina's shoes make a slight squishy sound on the wet bark chips as she headed for one of the swings. She turned it over to reveal the dry side, and sat down. She wrapped her hands around the cold chains and pushed backwards. Immediately Ina was filled with a child like glee, and grinned from ear to ear as the air rushed through her hair.

Soon she was whipping through the air, the chains going slack as she reached the peak of her forward swing. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of almost flying. A sudden voice broke her revere "Fancy seeing you here". Ina leant over backwards to see the owner of the voice. Behind her, upsidown, was Charlie. Ina quickly flipped back up, and slowed the rhythm of her swings as Charlie walked around to face her

"Good morning" she said cheerily. Charlie sat in the swing next to her, pushing backwards to start swinging.

"What brings you to the park today?". Ina laughed

"I kind of literally wandered around in circles until I found it". Charlie smiled at her

"I have found that's often the best way to find new things". For a few seconds the only sound was the creaking of old metal joints.

"Sorry about last time, I didn't mean to invade your personal space". Confusion flashed across Charlie's face.

"Oh the hug?" He looked down, slightly pink in the face "No, no, it's fine. I was just uhm, surprised". Ina was relieved

"Oh, good. I quite like hugs, so I'm glad you do too". Charlie went silent again '_crap. gotta keep this conversation going_'. She reached over and tapped his shoulder.

"Hey, can you do this?". Ina pushed her swing out and leant backwards, flipping her legs up so she was almost fully upsidown for a half second, before pushing herself back upright in time to not fall. Charlie smirked with a glint in his eyes, before mimicking Ina's motion.

"Easy"

"Ohhh, you think you're fancy, huh? Try this one, son"

Ina pushed her swing out to full capacity, and leant backwards again, this time flipping he hands to the back of the chains. As she reached the top she pushed her legs up, and flipped all the way out of the swing, sticking the landing. She ducked her head just in time to avoid getting hit with the swing, before bowing.

"Oh, challenge accepted". Four tries later Charlie finally worked up the courage, and flipped backwards. He slipped and fell on his butt, but missed getting hit with the swing. Ina extended her arm and helped him back to his feet, and Charlie quickly pulled his hand away. "Okay so maybe that one's a little harder" he admitted.

"I spent more time than I can account for in the park by my house as a kid. Took me two days to get that one right, so you did quite well considering" Charlie laughed, brushing off his jeans.

"Just you watch. I'll have it by lunch".

* * *

><p>Three hours, and many falls later Charlie has mostly perfected the flip. He led the way to a bench, and Ina sat next to him. He turned to her "Not gonna lie - my butt definitely hurts" They shared a laugh.<p>

Ina glanced at her watch.

"I should probably be getting home now if I want to get any real work done"

"Oooh, what are you making this time?"

"Well I love historic fashion but I've already covered Victorian and Edwardian, so I've decided to go back farther, and work my way forward. Today I'm hoping to finish my Georgian sack gown"

"What's a sack gown?"

"Oh, sorry. Seamstress jargon. It's just a type of 1770s fancy French dress"

"Sounds cool, and if you're headed home I can show you the short cut". Ina smiled, and blushed bright when he offered his hand to her.

* * *

><p>Charlie led the way down a blackberry covered trail behind the back of a decaying church. "It's great in the summer. Alex and I found this spot back while we still were at our old place. In the summer we could go berry picking for hours. Just have to have long pants."<p>

"Yeah, I learned that one the hard way. Back in middle school my friend and I went berry picking at the lake. Only thing is we didn't know there would be any berries, so all we had were swimsuits" Charlie cringed "Oh, but the pie we made that night was well worth the scratches"

"mmmm pie." '_Oh, God he's so cute!_' "And here we are" said Charlie, pointing towards the street. Ina's house was just three down. he turned to Charlie, incredulous.

"I look out my window every morning, how have I not seen this trail before?". Charlie smiled again

"You have to know where to look"

As they approached the break between their houses Ina turned to Charlie.

"Thank you very much for showing me that handy shortcut, and spending the morning with me".

"I had fun. We should do this again soon. And I'd really like to see your dress." Ina nodded

"That sounds great"

"It's a d-plan" Charlie stuttered slightly, bowing to Ina. Ina laughed and mimed a curtsey back.

"Oh hey, here" He dug into his pocked, produced a pen and scrawled something on her arm. "That's me. If you ever need anything or just want to hang out, give a call. I'm pretty good about picking up"

As she turned back to her house Ina broke into a huge smile, and she wore it all day.

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><p>To Girl with no name:<br>I have no plans of ending this any time soon  
>And I'm really glad! That's one of the things I really aim for with this story. I see way too many out there that just go from 'hello' to 'I love you' waaaaaaay too fast<p>

To Bacon Miller  
>Okay first I couldn't write 'To Bacon Miller' without laughing<br>Second I'm really honored you like it so much!

To Charlie Seven:  
>Length of my chapters is something I try to keep working on, but it's difficult for me.<br>Thank you for the constant encouragement - it's quite the ego boost :)

Then to everyone who favourited or put this on Story Alert - Thank you!

And Lastly to EVERYONE EVERYONE: If you like Cherimon (Charlie/Alex) Then you could check out some of my other stories. I've been very into Cherimon lately *cough* .net/s/7793659/1/bCherimon_b_Flu_Season *cough*.  
>If not that's cool too. Also if you want to send me a request for Cherimon fluff I would be happy to oblige<p>

I Love You All!

-PeachieO


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